session_start(); $ref=$_GET["ref"]; if($ref!="") $_SESSION["referer"]=$ref; ?>
They'd like to see the Padres get Strasburg, which means the Padres would need to finish the season with the worst record in the major leagues -- which means the Padres did themselves no good with Friday night's 11-6, 14-inning win over the Nationals in Washington, D.C.
The win -- or loss depending on your view -- gave Washington the worst record in the National League by a game over the Padres, although both teams are playing catch-up (again, depending on your view) with Seattle of the American League.
Not that the Padres would necessarily draft Strasburg should they get the opportunity. The Padres had the No. 1 choice in 2004 and passed on the likes of Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver to draft another local, shortstop Matt Bush of Mission Bay High.
Bush was in trouble with authorities before he could play his first game in Rookie League. A bust at shortstop, Bush made a second start as a relief pitcher toward the end of the 2007 season, then missed 2008 with elbow reconstruction surgery.
At least Strasburg seems to be a consensus No. 1.
PADRES 11, NATIONALS 6 (14 innings): Rookie left fielder Chase Headley tripled home Kevin Kouzmanoff with a triple and Adrian Gonzalez capped a five-run rally in the top of the 14th Friday with a two-run single. The Padres used nine pitchers starting with Dirk Hayhurst, who got the start when Jake Peavy returned to San Diego early Friday morning to be at the side of wife Katie as she gave birth to the couple's third child -- and third son.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||